• Vasilevskiy thriving after Bishop trade
• Tkachuk having better rookie year than Dad
• Kadri putting up career numbers
Some strong goaltending in Tampa Bay, a rookie outscoring his father and a veteran Maple Leaf having a career year.
Here are four things we learned in the NHL on Thursday.
Andrei Vasilevskiy finding groove after Ben Bishop trade
The Tampa Bay Lightning refuse to quit and a big win against the Minnesota Wild has them now four points out of a wild-card spot.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been a big reason why the Lightning still have any chance at the post-season, especially since Ben Bishop was traded ahead of the deadline. With the starting role safely his, Vasilevskiy has been a star.
Tampa’s 4-1 win against the Wild gives him a 4-0-1 record since the Bishop trade. In those five games, he’s given up more than one goal only once, in a 4-3 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
With Bishop set to hit the free agent market this summer and the expansion draft coming up, Steve Yzerman must be pleased that his goaltending situation appears to be cleared up.
It wasn’t all good times for the Lightning against the Wild though, as three forwards all suffered what looked like very serious injuries.
Tyler Johnson, Vladislav Namestnikov and Cedric Paquette all left the game at different points but with similar injuries. I’m no doctor, but those looked really bad.
As if the final stretch of the season wasn’t already stressful for Lightning fans.
Get back to the office in no time with BPs New Half-Time Lunch and $10 Combos. Dine-In Only. Click here to learn more.
Matthew Tkachuk continues to one up his dad
One of the unsung rookies this year has been Matthew Tkachuk with the Calgary Flames. The son of former NHLer Keith Tkachuk has emerged as a great power forward in his first season after being drafted sixth overall last June. He’s been so good, in fact, he’s actually outscoring his dad at the same point in their respective careers.
Tkachuk added another assist early on in the Flames’ win over the Montreal Canadiens. And it was a nice pass, one not always seen from 19-year-olds.
Keith Tkachuk finished his career with 538 goals and 1,065 points in 1,201 games so Matthew still has some catching up to do.
Tkachuk is just one of the many forwards finding ways to contribute in the Flames’ now eight-game winning streak. This table gives a good look at how some of the other forwards have contributed in the games leading up to their tilt with Montreal.
Nazem Kadri having a career year
With his empty-net goal in the Maple Leafs’ 4-2 win over the Flyers, Nazem Kadri tied a career high in points with 50.
The goal was his 28th of the season, which alone is way more than his previous high of 20, also in the 2013-14 season.
What makes this achievement even more exciting for Maple Leafs fans is that this season Kadri has been used in a more defensive role. It’s been Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander who have carried the team offensively, while Kadri has been tasked with shutting down the opponents’ top scorers.
This depth in scoring is something the Maple Leafs haven’t had in a long time and it’s a big reason for why they’re still fighting for a playoff spot.
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnson had more on how the Maple Leafs are finding ways to win in his post-game column.
[relatedlinks]
Jonathan Bernier gets 100th career win in style
Jonathan Bernier hit a big personal milestone on Thursday, and he did it in style, making 43 saves to shutout the Chicago Blackhawks and pick up his 100th career win.
Bernier’s first win came back in September 2007 with the Los Angeles Kings against the Anaheim Ducks at the O2 Arena in London, England. He wouldn’t get his second one until March of 2010, a span of four starts.
The following season he finally solidified himself as a reliable backup for the Kings behind Jonathan Quick, a role he played for three years until he was traded to Toronto in 2013.
This season with the Ducks, he has a 12-7-2 record in 22 starts with a 2.72 GAA and a .910 save percentage. Anaheim’s top starter John Gibson has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since Feb. 20, giving Bernier lots of chances to play in recent weeks.
How confident has Bernier been lately? He’s even making saves with his head turned the other way.
Anaheim Ducks goalie Jonathan Bernier with a no look save on Chicago Blackhawks left wing Ryan Hartman. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
